Portable dam for irrigating-ditches.



E. A. ENGLB.

PORTABLE DAM FOB. IRRIGATING DITOHES.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.12, 1911.

1,055,389, Patented Mar. 11, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 1.

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E. A. ENGLE.

PORTABLE DAM FOR IRRIGATING BITCHES.

APPLICATION FILED OOT.12, 1911.

COLUMBIA PLANOORAPN (10., WASHINGTON. D4 C4 UNITED straras PATENTorrron.

EUGENE A. ENGLE, 0F PRESCOTT, ARIZONA.

PORTABLE DAM FOR IRRIGATING-IDITCHES.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EUGENE A. ENGLE, acitizen of the, United States, residing at Prescott,in the county ofYavapai and State of Arizona, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Portable Dams for Irrigating-Ditches; and I do declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to portable dams for irrigating ditches.

One object of the invention is to provide a dam of this characterdesigned particularly for use in connection with the laterals ofirrigating ditches whereby they may be quickly and easily closed forflooding a certain area or for turning the water into other branchlaterals.

Another object is to provide a portable dam of this character havingmeans whereby the same may be readily adjusted to fit dltch laterals ofdifferent widths.

l/Vith these and other objects in view, the invention consists ofcertain novel features of construction, and the combination andarrangement of parts as will be more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings; Figure 1 is a cross sectional View througha lateral irrigating ditch showing the application of the dam; Fig. 2 isa top plan View of the same; Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectionalView of the ditch lateral and the dam arranged therein; Fig. 4 is aperspective view of the dam adjusting mechanism; Fig.

5 is a vertical cross sectional view of the partsshown in Fig. 1 takenon the line with the operating lever of the adjusting mechanism.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 denotes my improved damwhich is preferably constructed in the form of a metal plate having acurved or rounded lower end and a squared upper end to which is rivetedor otherwise secured a transversely disposed spring metal bar 2. Secured to the opposite side of the plate 1 from the bar 2 and adjacent tothe upper edge of the plate is a centrally disposed Specification ofLetters Patent.

Application filed October 12, 1911.

Patented Mar. 11, 1913.

Serial No. 654,285.

bail shaped handle 3 whereby the plate 1 is forced down into the ditchor lateral to form the dam. In thus applying the plate the lower end andside edges thereof will be forced into the banks or sides and the bottomof the ditch or lateral as clearly indicated in the drawings, thusforming a fluid tight connection between the edges of the plate and thesides and bottom of the ditch.

In order to firmly hold the plate 1 in operative position in the ditch Iprovide a brace rod 1 which is loosely connected by an eye bolt 5 to thebar 2 and up er portion of the plate on the opposite sire thereof fromthe direction of the flow of the water, the lower end of the brace rodbeing engaged with a block 6 arranged in the bottom of the ditch, saidblock being provided to prevent the end of the brace rod from beingforced into the mud or soft bottom of the ditch. When thus arranged theplate 1 will form an efficient dam across the ditch or lateral and willeffectually prevent the flow of water through the ditch or lateral thusturning said water into another branch lateral or causing the same toover- How the banks of the ditch and thus irrigate the surrounding area.

In order to adjust the plate 1 to fit ditches of different width, Iprovide means for bending or curving the plate to a suflicient extent tobring the side edges thereof the proper distance apart to fit betweenthe banks of the ditch or lateral to which the same is to be applied.The adjusting mechanism for thus regulating the width of the damcomprises two fiat metal bars 7 and 8 on the outer ends of which areformed eyes 9 whereby said ends are hingedly connected with eyes 10formed on the ends of the spring metal bar 2 on the upper end of theplate 1. The inner ends of the bars 7 and 8 have formed thereonlaterally projecting hook shaped guide lugs 11, the lugs on the end ofone of said bars slidably engaging the edges of the other bar therebyslidably connecting said bars together. The bar 8 has formed therein alongitudinally disposed slot 12 in which is engaged a rivet or headedstud 13 (secured in bar 7) between the head of which and the adjacentside of the bar 8 is arranged a washer 14:. By thus arranging the stud13 in the bar 7 fore-ngagement in the slot 12 in the bar 8 an additionalconnection is provided for slidably securing said bars together.

Pivotally mounted on a stud or rivet 15 in the bar 7 and adapted to workbetween said bars 7 and 8 is an adjusting lever 16 having pivotallyconnected to its lower end a pawl 17 having a shank or handle 18, whileto the lever adjacent to the upper edges of the bars 7 and S ispivotally connected a pawl 19 having a shank or handle 20. The pawls 17and 19 are operatively connected together by a coiled spring 21 thepressure of which is applied to the pawls to hold them in yieldingengagement with upper and lower racks or series of ratchet teeth 22formed on the upper and lower edges of the inner portion of the bar 8 asshown. By thus arranging the lever 16 and the pawls 17 and 19 the leverwhen swung back and forth on its pivot stud 15 will engage first one andthen the other of the pawls with the racks or ratchet teeth 22, thusdrawing said bars together. In thus drawing the bars 7 and 8 together itwill be understood that the side edges of the plate 1 will be drawninwardly thus bowing or curving the plate to a greater or less extent asis clearly indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawing. By thus bowing or curvingthe plate 1 it will be seen that the dam may be adjusted to any desiredwidth for engagement with the ditch or lateral in the manner described.In applying the dam the convexed side of the plate is disposed towardthe direction from which the water is flowing so that the force of thewater striking the convexed side of the Plate or dam will tend to morefirmly engage its side edges with the banks of the ditch. When it isdesired to increase the width of the dam it is simply necessary todisengage the pawls 17 and. 19 from the racks 22 by grasping andcompressing the handles and shanks 18 and 20 whereupon the spring actionof the bar 2 on the upper end of the plate 1 will cause the plate toexpand or the sides of the same to spread apart thus increasing thewidth of the plate or dam.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings the construction and operation of the invention will be readilyunderstood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details ofconstruction may be resorted to without departing from the principle orsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is;

1. A dam for ditches, comprising a normally substantially flat metalplate and means for laterally curving the plate to vary its effectivewidth to suit it for use with ditches of diflerent widths, said curvingmeans comprising a pair of slidably connected bars secured at theirouter ends on the outer edges of the plate, and means for sliding thebars upon each other and holding them in their adjusted positions.

2. A dam for ditches, comprising a normally substantially flat metalplate and means for laterally curving the plate to vary its efiectivewidths to suit it for use with ditches of different widths, said curvingmeans comprising a pair of slidably connected bars secured at theirouter ends on the outer edges of the plate, and means for sliding thebars upon each other and holding them in their adjusted positionscomprising teeth on one of the bars, and a lever pivoted to the otherbar, and pawls pivoted to the lever and adapted to engage the'teeth onthe first named bar.

3. In a dam for ditches a plate flat throughout its entire length, aspring metal bar secured to the upper end of said plate, a brace toassist in holding the plate in position in the ditch, a plate adjustingmechanism adapted to vary the effective width of said plate to suit itfor use in ditches of different widths, said plate being expanded orstraightened by the action of the spring bar secured thereto when saidadjusting mechanism is released.

4%. In a dam for ditches a plate, a spring metal bar secured to theupper end thereof, a plate adjusting mechanism comprising a pair ofslidably connected bars having a hinged connection at their outer endsto the ends of said spring bar, a pawl and ratchet adjusting mechanismconnected with said slidable bars, and a lever to actuate said adjustingmechanism whereby the bars may be drawn together to curve said platethere by regulating its effective width.

5. In a dam for ditches, a sheet metal plate, a spring metal bar securedto the upper end of the plate, a pair of adjusting bars hingedlyconnected at their outer ends to the ends of said spring bar,-one ofsaid adjusting bars having formed therein a longitudinal slot, a rivetarranged in the other bar to slidably engage in said slot, hook shapedguide lugs formed on the inner ends of said bars, the lugs on one ofsaid bars slidably engaging the edges of the other bar whereby said barsare adjustably connected together, ratchet teeth formed on the upper andlower edgesof one of said bars, a pawl. operating lever pivotallymounted on the other bar, pawls pivot-ally connected to said lever andadapted to engage the ratchet teeth on the opposite edges of the otherbar, a spring to hold said pawls in operativeen- 1,0 55,sse 8 gagementwith said ratchet teeth, and my hand in presence of two subscribingwithandles fOIIlBd (in said Ipawls whereby tlfie nesses.

utter ma, e re ease t us permittin t e plate to expand under the action0 the EUGENE ENGLE' 5 spring metal bar secured to the upper endWitnesses:

thereof. L. D. STEWART, In testimony whereof I have hereunto set E. S.CLARK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. V t

